Moringa arborea Verdcourt

This species was discovered by
Allan Radcliffe-Smith and Peter Bally in 1972. They found a single
tree growing in a rocky canyon in northeastern Kenya near the
Ethiopian border. The tree was in flower and fruit but was leafless,
so the leaves have been a mystery since no one went back to the
area for over 30 years.

In 1998, I revisited the type locality to look for M. arborea.
In the same canyon, I found almost a dozen individuals, and locals
informed me that the tree was more widespread. But the trees were
leafless when I saw them, too. I collected many cuttings and two
small plants. All the cuttings and one small plant remained with
the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and I the other
small plant back to Missouri. Now, we have an idea of what the
leaves look like!

Moringa arborea is a very beautiful tree, especially
when covered with its large sprays of pale pink and wine red flowers.
The young fruits, which resemble a yard-long string bean, are
being eagerly awaited on plants being cultivated at KEFRI to be
tested for their suitability as a vegetable for arid climates.

Locals use the tree, like other
species of Moringa, for medicine, especially the roots,
which are thick and fleshy and pungent smelling.